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Bored Invents

The winners are looked up to as role models more than the ones who didn’t. In a cricket crazy country like us, it is not only the responsibility of the 15 cricketers, 7 support staff and a board of a few hundred to act as the spokespeople of the winners. We, the people of India have that responsibility too.

I’m sure it was the responsibility or what we famously called the collective prayers that made our team win. Of course it was a team of great players but our prayers added to the cause. We were happy we won, some went to places of worship, many took residence in bars & pubs celebrating. Some even patriotically puked maps when they couldn’t handle the juice of victory.

It is all fine and good till we don’t revert to the traditional Indian past time, the art of the rhetoric. Alas, we have lost our minds to victory and this is precisely what we have been doing for the last couple of days. We have seen some irresponsible mails that are being circulated, posted on the social media websites etc.

The mails where the finals has been branded the revenge match, India’s response to the abduction of Sita. As the mails famously call it “Hamne Sita ki choron ko haradiya” (we have beat the thieves who abducted Sita, the wife of Lord Ram). Guys get some sense of history, Rama had already done that. He defeated Ravana, the original and actual “Sita ki chor” (The thief who abducted Sita). What we are doing now is what exactly our politicians have been doing for ages, “Conquering or spoiling minds using some romantic rhetoric”.

How would anyone of us feel if someone calls us “Dhuryodhan ki aulat” (Son of Duryodhana, an evil character in Hindu mythology) or even in a contemporary sense “A Raja ki bachhe ne paisa khilake jeetliya” (son of A Raja, the telecom minister who famously cheated the Indian exchequer of millions, who used money to win the cup)? Hurts right ?

So why the hell are we spoiling a great win with some stupid morphed pictures and insane rhetoric ? What do we get doing this ? 24 likes on the social networking sites and 4 comments ? So what does that achieve for us ?

I’m sure at some point in time someone is going to say, “Go take lessons from Afridi, if he could be graceful in defeat why can’t we be in victory ?”. Well someone has already said it (It is me !!)…

Let’s enjoy our victory, savor the moment, tell the world we are the champions and the best in business … But let’s avoid these unsavory, naïve, stupid jokes and cheap photoshop tricks that makes us project an image of a moron to the world at large.

If we really want to be "saare jahan se achha" every one of us needs to strive to be sporting and gracious in both victory and defeat.

And it's not that difficult. We need look no further than Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni. True fans would try to emulate their example, and not just superficially hail them as Gods.

@Anon: If only we had a "like" button here... I really like how you opened the comment. Cheers !!

@Govind: I don't think taming Tigers, knocked the kangaroos, pinned the pathan's down and slayed the tiger is offensive... It is so generic and sounds creative if you asked me... I take offence to mythology being force fit into sports or bringing in political undertones. Especially to celebrate and look down upon the one who lost...

Just trying to understand.. my comment from yesterday was not passed through. Was it over the line or something? or can only BCC! members only post comments? Just trying to see if the comment was deleted or held up (could see it yesterday after posting.)

Guys, some perspective please. A few photo shopped images versus sending brainwashed robots to kill innocents. Its all in humor, and I do not agree at all that as winners we have to be nice to people. There is nothing wrong in being a little in your face, rile opponents up and get them pissed off. I see absolutely no reason to be nice to people who resent us anyway, and will always see us as the big bully on the block. Fuck em. We ARE big. So there. If you can't take a joke, its your problem not ours.

You are telling me "this is not our way", which is what Sri Ram Sene does also. Just because Sri Ram Sene do it violently and you do it with a superior attitude does not make the two different in my eyes. Both are same.

What i'm saying is that all of Indian cricket fans were swept up in the World cup euphoria, specially as the team won each successive knockout stage. There were a lot of jokes targeted at Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - most in good humor, some in bad taste. Big deal. This is normal human behavior. Neither are we the first to do this, nor should we be obligated to hold ourselves to some superhuman standard of dignified celebration. Further, nothing wrong with being in your face. Passive-aggressive behavior, which has been the Indian model, is worse actually. Good that the new generation is moving away from it.

Putting across an opinion in the most dignified manner is what 'WE' are discussing here. When I say, "OUR" it means whoever subscribes to the idea expressed by the main article here.

It was you who started with a perspective here. Well, "To each his / her own".

We just have 'OUR' way. If you don't subscribe, it is fine with us. It is just that 'In the face' attitude is what we have despised in our opponents all these years and even complained about.

It is perfectly possible to be the best in the business and be polite and be imposing all at the same time. Just look at Federer, Nadal and Sachin. We would prefer this kind of behavior than the Sreesanth and Andre Nel kind of behavior.

That is exactly what means 'To each his own' !

Ram Sena is an aggressive outfit that orders other people how to behave. We expect people to behave better.

There always is the choice of being in the face and face a possibility of a slap in the face as Sreesanth did from Bhajji !

That is why, it is advisable to develop a thick skin, good body and bulging biceps ! The latest 7 up ad featuring Sharman Joshi shows it beautifully.